Monday, September 26, 2011

APE is coming up this weekend ! Me, Daniel Strijleva and Katy Wu will be at table #328 presenting our newly illustrated book, ROUND ROBIN 2, along with our special prints and totes! We'll be sharing the space with Tr!ckster and many other amazing artists, much thanks to our generous host, Scott Morse. If you're in S.F. this weekend, please come by !

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Just 9 days before APE ! I can't wait to receive our newly printed ROUND ROBIN 2! Before you see the book in person, I'd like to share some of my work-in-progress with you.

I shall reserve the two words for this piece for now to leave you with some surprise for later. To start a Round Robin piece, I started with researching about the two given words - looking up their definitions in different dictionaries, typing them on web search and seeing what images or related things would come up.. .but, sometimes after taking in so much informations, my brain started to over think it. I had to go away from the words for a while but always kept them in mind. When getting more used to the words and the meanings, I would try in everyway to break the logic and break away from the most convenient ideas, then see what other possibilities could describe the words. Or actualy, almost counter intuitively - How to be inspired by the words. Although there were times some word was just so identifyable on its own and very attractive to just illustrate it straight as it is...

Here are some initial thumbnails and sketches

In this piece, I tried to use graphic compositions to help tell the story, as there just seemed to be an off-balance blind spot in my eyes..., I had to flip and work on the sketches front and back to make sure the shapes would be balanced in either side. Also it got tricky to be selective of how informative

the graphic shapes should be.

Got my tools ready ! I fell in love with jam jars and sardine cans !

Block in the initial composition in watercolor.

As layering in the pencils, I constantly checked in the mirror for

the reverse image to see if the value, layering, shapes were working.

Peeling off the surounding masking tape for clean edges

is always the most rewarding - finished !

...or almost ! still couldn't help to go work back in !

Well, I hope this would get you excited about ROUND ROBIN 2, and hope to see you at the Alternative Press Expo on October 1st. in SF !Also, don't miss to check out Daniela's piece for the book !